It’s Read a Book Day today, September 6th, and with the sun shining, conditions are perfect for curling up in the nice weather with a good book.
Read an old favourite; finally get round to checking out that classic that’s been gathering dust on your bookshelf. However you do it, just celebrate books in some form today.
Read a Book Day might be the best time to get lost in a book but it’s also a day to plan ahead for your future reading. Spring also officially sprung last week and there’s plenty of fascinating books heading for release this season.
Read on below to find our top picks for the spring book schedule. From profound and timely memoirs to hyped new works by some of the most renowned current writers, there’s something to suit all tastes coming out soon!
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney (September 7th)
It’s very rare to find international fame in one’s lifetime as an author these days but Irish writer Rooney certainly has, thanks to her relatable and powerful prose. Her first two novels, Conversations with Friends and Normal People, were unanimously adored, with the latter being made into an expensive TV series that had hearts fluttering.
Her third effort is now here and the slice of autofiction sees Rooney looking inward: Alice, a novelist, struggles to contend with her sudden and life-altering success and fame (ring any bells?). Alongside her friends Felix, Eileen, and Simon, they’ll have sex, worry about sex, worry about their friendships and the world they live in. The novel that’s destined to dominate social media for months.
Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke (September 14th)
From the founder and activist behind one of the most powerful movements of the 21st century comes this debut memoir. Burke is unsparing about her personal journey, unafraid to discuss the darker aspects of her life. It’s a story of possibility, empathy, power, and perseverance. Oprah called it “searing. powerful. needed,” so what else do you really need to know?
The Hill We Climb and Other Poems by Amanda Gorman (December 7th)
Gorman made waves when she performed a profound poem at Joe Biden’s Presidential inauguration at the start of this year. She’s going to conclude the year with her breakout poetry collection, which includes ‘The Hill We Climb’, the stirring poem that she performed at the inauguration.
The collection captures an unforgettable new voice in poetry, as Gorman explores themes such as identity, grief, and memory in her own inimitable way. Gorman’s poetry has won praise from the likes of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michelle Obama and, um, Hillary Clinton.
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen (October 5th)
Franzen divides readers like few other modern authors. Each book he releases is a major literary moment, each one adored just as much as it’s derided. Everyone likes an artist that’s like marmite, don’t they? His new novel is set in a historical moment of moral crisis (hence the title), and is the stunning foundation of a sweeping investigation of human mythologies. Clearly not limiting his scope, is Franzen.
It focuses on the Hildebrandt family as they navigate the political and social crosscurrents of the past five decades. Honestly this one could go either way but at the very least it’ll be entertaining.
